Making a difference for society

In order to boost the positive impact we have on society, we have identified four focus domains in which we can create added value and respond to actual societal needs. We want to create this added value by developing innovative business solutions in each of those domains, with a specific focus on those aspects where a bank-insurer can really make a difference.

Environmental responsibility

Environmental responsibility is our primary focus area. Environmental challenges such as climate change, biodiversity decline, pollution or water issues are global challenges that require immediate action. To us, taking environmental responsibility means continuing to reduce our own environmental footprint and creating a variety of initiatives and targets to achieve that. It also means taking further steps to develop business solutions that have a positive impact on the environment.

Financial literacy

We see it as our responsibility to contribute to improving the general public’s understanding of financial concepts and products. Financial literacy is therefore our second focus area. For KBC, financial literacy has three dimensions:

• Financial advice and clear communication: We help our clients make the right choices with good and transparent advice on our products and services.
• Financial behaviour:  We inform our clients about how we use the data that we collect through our online services. This enables them to decide which information they are willing to share.  
• Financial education: We aim to combat financial illiteracy from an early age onwards. We offer different educational activities to support the development of good financial habits. With these initiatives, we aim to prevent behaviour that may lead to money struggles.

Entrepreneurship

We want to support entrepreneurship, stimulate job creation and contribute to sustainable economic growth through our banking and insurance activities.

Longevity and health

We want to meet the needs of a growing ageing population. To this end, we develop specific solutions through our core businesses. In Belgium and the Czech Republic, our focus is on longevity. In our other core markets, the focus is on the development of products and services to improve quality of life,
healthcare and health in general.

If you want to read about concrete examples of our efforts in each of these focus domains, please refer to our Sustainability Report.